Method of an apparatus for filling bottles

ABSTRACT

There is disclosed a method of and apparatus for filling bottles with a liquid, particularly a cold and/or viscous liquid such as ketchup into bottles at high speed and without breaking. The bottle is first filled with steam, also preferably in a surrounding atmosphere of steam, and then pressed against a valved filling head to open the valve. The cold liquid immediately condenses the steam in the bottle, creating a partial vacuum that pulls the liquid into the bottle at high velocity. If there is a surrounding atmosphere of steam, heat stresses in the glass will be largely eliminated.

United States Patent Inventor James B. Anderson Cleveland, Ohio Appl.No. 759,274

Filed Sept. 12,1968

Assignee H. J. Heinz Company Pittsburgh, Pa.

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR FILLING BOTTLES l1 Claims, 5 Drawing Figs.

U.S. Cl 141/11, 141/4, 141/47 Int. Cl B67c 3/14 FieldofSear-chl41/l1,35, 4, 5, 7, 8, 47, 48, 49, 59, 85, 51

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS l/ l 957 Fechheimer et al.l4l/'48X 2,862,528 12/1958 Geisler 3,393,491 7/1968 Burtonetal....

Primary Examiner-Laverne D. Geiger Assistant Examiner-Robert T, SmithAttorney-Parmelee, Utzler & Welsh ABSTRACT: There is disclosed a methodof and apparatus for filling bottles with a liquid, particularly a coldand/or viscous liquid such as ketchup into bottles at high speed andwithout breaking. The bottle is first filled with steam, also preferablyin a surrounding atmosphere of steam, and then pressed against a valvedfilling head to open the valve. The cold liquid im-.

mediately condenses the steam in the bottle, creating a partial vacuumthat pulls the liquid into the bottle at high velocity. lf there is asurrounding atmosphere of steam, heat stresses in the glass will belargely eliminated.

Patented March 1s, 1971 3,579,525@

3 Sheets--Shevei'l 1 Inventor 38 James B. Anderson BQM, @ha CONIINER OUTCONTAINER IN Attorneys.

Patented March 16, 1971 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 :I Inventor James Anderson. By

Attorneys Patented March 16, 1971 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 METHOD OF ANDAPPARATUS FOR FILLING BOTTLES T his invention is for a method of andapparatus for filling bottles with a liquid, and particularly with aliquid which is relatively thick, viscous, or normally sluggish or slowflowing, as for example ketchup.

While automatic bottle-filling machines have been extensively used inthe filling of bottles with various liquids, such machines, when usedwith viscous liquids, or thick, heavybodied liquids, must be operatedquite slowly because of the difficulty of forcing the liquid into thebottle, even under pressure.

This invention is for a method and apparatus for the rapid filling ofsuch bottles, andfit comprises generally a method and apparatus whereinthe bottles are initially filled with steam under pressure, which expelsthe air from the bottles. Having filled the bottles with steam, thenecks of the bottle are sealed against a valved filling head throughwhich the liquid introduced into the bottle. The liquid product,generally being cool or relatively cold, initially causes a condensationof the steam, creating a high vacuum in the bottle. The liquid which isat atmospheric pressure will then flow or be sucked at high velocityinto the bottle, the entrance of air being excluded at that time. As thebottle approaches a full condition, the flow will diminish. At theproper level the bottle is moved away from the filling head and is readyto be capped.

Also when the bottle is hot, as it is after it has been filled withsteam, andcold liquid is introduced, the glass is stressed, and this isconducive to cracking or breaking. According to the present invention anatmosphere of steam is maintained about the bottle while it is beingfilled. The condensation of the surrounding steam against the bottlesupplies heat thereto more rapidly than it is conducted into the liquidwhich is filling the bottle, tending to relieve the sudden stress on theglass and prevent breakage.

A preferred form of machine for accomplishing the method has a rotarytable with a number of vertically movable bottle supports adjacent theperiphery thereof. The lower ends of these supports below the tabletravel on an annular stepped cam which lowers and raises the bottles andlowers them again in a proper sequence. Over the rotary table is arotating reservoir to which the product is supplied. This reservoir issupplied with an annular series of equally spaced filling heads. Eachfilling head comprises a tube depending from the rotating reservoir witha fitment at its lower end that normally cooperates with a valve toprevent the flow of liquid therefrom, but which is movable verticallyagainst a spring relative to the valve to open the valve and allow aflow of liquid therefrom. The operation of this fitment is effected bybottles carried on the supports which are positioned directly under thefilling heads, and which, at the proper time, are raised to press theaforesaid fitment upwardly. Concentric within the first tube is a smalldiameter steam inlet tube which terminates at the discharge end thereofin the valve element itself, and which extends up through the reservoir.Along one arc in the cycle of rotation of the reservoir and table, thesesteam pipes are successively moved into communication with the steamchest whereby high-pressure steam is blown down through the tube into abottle positioned beneath it, and prior to the time when the bottle israised to a position to be filled. After the injection of steam throughthis tube into the bottle and the displacement of air from the bottle,the steam inlet pipes are sealed against the inflow of air, so that whenthe bottle has been raised to a position to be filled and the steam inthe bottle condenses, air cannot be drawn in through the steam inlettubes.

The invention may be more fully understood by reference to theaccompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment thereof,and in which:

FIG. 1 represents a partial vertical section through a machineconstructed in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the apparatus shown in FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is a somewhat schematic projection taken along the line III-IIIof FIG. 2 illustrating the sequence ofthe operations of the machine in aflat elevation;

FIG. 4 is a vertical section on a larger scale through a single fillinghead, and with a single bottle support therebeneath showing the positionof the parts of the filling head when steam is being introduced into thebottle; and

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 showing the next stage of theoperation where the supply of steam has been cut off and the liquid isstarting to enter the bottle.

Referring to the drawings, in which like reference numerals designatelike parts throughout, 2 designates a circular turntable having adepending shaft 3 with a drive gear 4 thereon, which may be driven froma suitable source of power as indicated by the pinion 5. The table 2 hasa series of equally spaced bottle supports 6 around the peripherythereof, each bottle support 6 being carried on a vertical rod 7 thatslidably passes through a bushing 8in the table. At the lower end ofeach rod there is a cam follower or roller 9 that engages an annulartrack 10. The track l0 has a series of steps therein so that as thetable rotates, the cam followers 9, riding upl or down these steps,raise or lower the bottle supports 6 in predetermined sequence.

In the construction here shown, the cam 10 is supported on the bottom 11of an enclosure having sidewalls 12 that surround the table 2 and extendup to the top of the machine.

Centrally positioned on the table 2 is a vertical column 13- thatrotates with the table 2, and which supports a circular vessel orreservoir 14 in which the product to be put into the bottles isretained. Thisl product is preferably maintained at a constant levelthrough a product supply line 15, the flow of which can be adjusted tosuit the outflow of product from the reservoir.

As best shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, there is a filling head assemblydesignated generally as 16 attached to and depending from the reservoir14, and positioned directly above a bottle support 6. There is one suchfilling head for each bottle support around the table 2. Each fillinghead comprises a tube 17 having a threaded upper end screwed into thebottom of the reservoir 14 and sealed thereto as indicated in thedrawings. Telescopingly received within the tube 17 is a second tube 181having a fitment 19 at its lower end. There is a compression spring 20surrounding the tube 18, and the tube 17, whichis confined between aflange 17a on the tube 17 and the fitment 19 for resiliently urging thefitment and the telescoping tube 18 downwardly. The terminal fitment 19of the tube has a depending sleeve 21 around which is a rubber or otherresilientcollar 22. There is a ring 23 around the fitment 19 havingdiametrically opposed webs 24 that support a bottle guide 25.

Centrally positioned inside the tubes 17 and 18 is an axially extendingtube 26 on the lower end of which is an enlargement 27 constituting afixed valve element against which the lower end of the sleeve 21normally bears and is held by the pressure. of the spring 20, andwhichlimits the fitment 19 from moving below the position shown in FIG. 4, inwhich position the valvel is sealed against the end of the sleeve 21.

On the upper end of the tube member 17 there is a U- shaped support 30on which is a nipple 31 into which the tube 16 is screwed, and ontowhich an extension of the tube 26, designated 32, is coupled. The upperinlet end of the tube 13"is bent over horizontally as indicated at 33and terminates in an opening at 34 in the sidewall of the reservoir 14a.

At one area around the periphery of the reservoir there is an arcuatesteam chestl 35 that is sealed against the side of the rotatingreservoir, and which has an arcuate slot that is in register with theports 34 at the inlet ends of the pipes 33 as they move in successionpast the steam chest. 36 designates a steam supply pipe for thereservoir. Extending around the periphery of the rotating reservoir inthe plane of the ports 34 from one end of the steam chest to the other,or at least a substantialy distance from the steam chest around thereservoir is a fixedl sealing strip 37 supported against the sidewall l2of the enclosure. The arrangement is such that when a port 34 at theend' of a pipe 33 moves in front of the steam chest, steam may enter thepipe 33 and flow down through it, and discharge through the lower end ofthe valve 27. When, however, the

port moves beyond the steam chest 35, it is immediately sealed by thesealing strip 37 bearing against the outside of the rotating reservoir.It remains sealed in the arrangement shown for the full travel around tothe other end of the steam chest, although the sealing strip 37 couldterminate at some point in the revolution of the reservoir beyond whichthe bottles are filled.

The operation of the apparatus may now be followed by particularreference to FIG. 3. As indicated by the dotted lines 38 and 33a in FIG.2, the sidewalls ofthe casing l2 are folded in at these points toprovide an opening through the fixed outer casing. At the point markedCONTAINER IN, bottles pass through this opening onto the machine, and atthe point marked CONTAINER UT,vthe bottles are removed at the oppositeside of the same opening. The usual mechanism associated withbottle-filling machines for filling the bottles into the machine andtaking them away is not shown, and of course could be accomplishedmanually.

As shown in FIG. 3, when a bottle initially is put into the machine, itis located on one of the platforms 6 in an upright position. This is theposition shown in the left end of FIG. 3 of the drawing where the camroller 9 for the first bottle is on the lowest portion of the annularcam track 10. This level will be convenient for automatic machinery forfeeding bottles to the filling machine and removing them therefrom,although this operation may be performed manually. At station 02 apreceding bottle support will have moved up the incline lila to the nexthigher level llb of the cam. This is the second position from the leftin FIG. 3, and at this point the steam for its steam pipe 33 will justbe moving in front of the steam chest. lmmediately as the port 34 comesin front of the steam chest, high-pressure steam will discharge throughthe valve 27 in the manner previously described, and will vblow downinto the bottle as indicated in the drawing, and more particularly FIG.4. This will displace the air in the bottle, since the top of the bottleis then spaced below the filling valve. Steam will continue to flow intothe bottle as the bottle is carried around as shown in station 03 wherethe next-preceding bottle and support is traveling along the level 10bof the cam. The bottle support ahead of this one is at station 04, andhere its cam follower is approaching the top of the second incline 10cof the cam 10 raising the top of the bottle into engagement with thecompressible or resilient bottle sealing bushing 22 surrounding thesleeve 2l to a form a seal between the top of the bottle and therubberlike bushing 22. When the bottle has been fully raised, which isthe position shown at station 05, and which is also shown on a largerscale in FIG. 5, the bottle will have pressed the bushing upwardly toraise the fitment 19 with the tube 18 telescoping inside the tube i7against the compression of the spring 20. This lifts the end of thesleeve 2l sufficiently clear ofthe valve 27 to enable product which ofcourse fills the tube 18 at all times, to enter the bottle. As soon asthe cold product starts to flow into the bottle, the steam will becondensed, creating a vacuum which will suck the material down into thebottle, causing it to flow very rapidly into the bottle to fill it. Asthe bottle becomes increasingly full, the degree of suction willdiminish. During the filling stage, of course, the port 34 at the steaminlet end of the steam tube for the particular bottle or bottles beingfilled will be sealed from the entrance of air by the stationary sealingelement 37 around the periphery of the rotating reservoir. During thefilling stage the cam followers will be riding on the high part Mld ofthe cam track 10, and at the proper time they will ride off the highpart llild down an incline (not shown) to the lowermost level l0, andthe filled bottle will have been carried around to the position wherethe filled container can be removed. The term cold as here applied tothe product is relevant, meaning ordinarily about room temperature, orlower or higher, depending on where the product has been stored, or hasbeen freshly prepared, and therefore warm to the touch but below thecondensation temperature of steam.

When a cold product is discharged into a hot glass bottle as abovedescribed, thermal stresses are set up in the bottle which may causecracking or breaking-of the bottle. l have discovered that if, when thecold prmiuct enters the bottle, there is an atmosphere of steamenveloping the bottle, the heat transfer from the steam into the bottlewill exceed the rate at which the heat is removed from the interior ofthe bottle Ato an extent sufficient to prevent such breakage. The liquidin the bottle being a relatively poor conductor of heat, and thecondensation of steam on the outside of the bottle releasing the latentheat and steam at the surface of the bottle, appears to account for thefact that the bottle does not break.

While the glass bottles have been specifically referred to for purposesof illustration and describing a preferred embodiment, glass jugs andeven metal containers with inlet spouts may be filled by the process andapparatus by properly proportioning the various parts.

This process is utilized in the present invention where a.

steam pipe 40 leads from a source of steam (not shown) into the interiorof the housing l2 so as to continuously supply an atmosphere of steaminto the housing in the area through which the bottles are moving. Tobetter confine the steam within the housing, there may be a cover 4lattached to the top of the housing l2 and extending into the peripheryof the reservoir 14 above the sealing strip 37.

lt will thus be seen that the invention provides a unique method andapparatus for the rapid filling of containers, and especially bottles,with a liquid which has a sluggish flow characteristic, or is thick orviscous in nature.

Iclaim:

l. The method of aseptically filling a cold sluggish flowing liquidproduct into a container wherein the container has a filling openingthrough which the product is introduced into the container whichcomprises:

a. heating the container and filling it with steam and displacing airtherefrom;

b. then sealing the filling opening of the container while the containeris full of steam to the outlet terminal of a product supply tube andopening a valve to effect an initial flow of product from said tube intothe container whereupon cold product initially entering the containercondenses the steam to thereby create a vacuum in the container whichaccelerates the flow of product from the outlet terminal into the bottleand the subsequent filling of the container with product relieves lthevacuum in the container;

c. separating the filled container from the outlet terminal andsimultaneously closing the said valve for cutting off the discharge ofproduct from the outlet terminal.

2. The method of filling a container as defined in claim l wherein thecontainer is a glass container and the inlet opening thereof is the opentop of the container.

3. The method defined in claim l wherein an atmosphere of steam ismaintained about the container while it is being filled with steam andthen with product and the outlet terminal of the product supply tube isalso exposed to an atmosphere of steam before and after the container issealed thereto and separated therefrom. 'A

4. Apparatus for aseptically filling a container with a cold productcomprising:

a. a product holding reservoir;

b. a discharge tube leading from said reservoir and arranged to be keptfull of product from the reservoir;

c. the tube having a terminal with an end closure against which itnormally seats to prevent the discharge of product therefrom and fromwhich the tube is arranged to minal whereby the container is full ofsteam when it is sealed against the terminal whereby product dischargedfrom said terminal condenses steam in the container and thereby forms avacuum to accelerate `the f'low of product into the container; and

f. means providing a steam-filled enclosure in which said tube terminaland support are located and through which the containers move during theforegoing operations.

5 Apparatus for filling containers as defined in claim 4 wherein saidmeans for discharging high pressure steam into the container comprises asteam discharge tube extending into the fitment and terminating at theend of the fitment.

6. Apparatus for filling containers as defined in claim 5 wherein saidvalve is concentrically positioned within said fitment, the valve havingan exterior surface:

a. said steam tube passing through the valve and terminating in theexterior surface thereof;

b. said fitment normally bearing against said valve for closing the flowof product past the valve; and

c. the fitment being movable axially upwardly relative to the valve anddischarge tube when the top of a container is pressed against thesealing means.

7. Apparatus for filling containers as defined in claim 6 wherein thereis a spring for resiliently urging the fitment against the valve whenthe filled container is removed from engagement with the sealing means.

8. Apparatus for filling containers as defined in claim 7 wherein:

a. said reservoir is circular and is supported for rotation about avertical axis;

b. said means for moving the container comprises a vertically movablecontainer support positioned directly below the discharge tube on thereservoirv and rotatable with the reservoir; and

c. a cam follower on said container support and a fixed verticallystepped cam over which said cam follower is arranged to move as thecontainer support revolves with the reservoir for raising and loweringthe container support with respect to said fitment and discharge tube.

9. Apparatus for filling containers as defined in claim 8 wherein:

a. there is a steam chamber with a connection to a source of steamhaving a sliding seal against the reservoir through an arc of rotationof the reservoir with an outlet port extending along the greater portionof its arcuate length;

b. said steam discharge tube having an inlet terminal that registerswith said steam chamber outlet by the rotation of the reservoir;

c. a fixed air seal arranged to cover the inlet terminal of the steamdischarge tube for a portion at least of its travel immediatelyfollowing said steam chamber; and

d. said cam being so arranged that a container on the container supportis moved with its open end spaced below the fitment when steam isadmitted to the steam discharge tube when the inlet terminal of saidtube is in confronting relation to the outlet port of the steam chamberand the container support is raised immediately following the travel ofthe steam discharge tube inlet terminal into register with said fixedair seal.

10. Apparatus for filling glass containers as defined in claim 9 whereinthere is a fixed enclosure surrounding the circle of revolution of thecontainer support, and means for supplying steam to said enclosure.

1l. Apparatus for filling containers with a liquid product comprising:

a. a rotary table with a number of vertically movable container supportsthereon, the lower ends of said supports extending below the table;

b. a fixed circular cam track below the table on which said lower endsof the supports move as the table rotates, said cam track having stepstherein for effecting a lowering and raising movement of the bottlesupports in progressive sequence; c. a reservoir supported above thetable and connected therewith for rotation with the table;

d. a series of equally spaced filling heads carried by the reservoir,one over each container support;

e. each filling head comprising a tube depending from the rotatingreservoir with a fitment at its lower end;

f. said tment being movable vertically relatively to the tube;

g. means for resiliently urging the fitment downwardly with respect tothe tube;

h. a valve element centered in the fitment and against which the fitmentnormally seats to close the tube against the escape of producttherefrom;

i. a steam tube extending upwardly through said first tube opening toatmosphere through said valve and on which said valve is fixed;

j. sealing means on the fitment against which the top of a container maybe sealed when the container is pressed thereagainst;

k. means at one point in the cycle of rotation of the reservoir andtable for admitting steam to said steam tube in succession; and

l. means on the cycle of rotation of the reservoir for sealing eachsteam tube in succession against the inflow of air or the escape ofsteam immediately after it is removed from the steam supply means anduntil the container has been filled, said cam means being so arrangedwith respect to the rotation of the table that a container on eachsupport is in turn brought into close spaced relation to said valve atthe time steam is admitted to said steam tube and being so arranged thateach bottle is successively sealed against the sealing means on thefitment immediately above it after the fiowof steam through said steamtube is terminated and the fitment simultaneously lifted out of seatingengagement on said valve, whereby product may flow through vsaidfirst-named tube and the fitment into the container, the cam means beingso arranged as to lower the container out of contact with the fitmentafter the bottle has been filled.

1. The method of aseptically filling a cold sluggish flowing liquidproduct into a container wherein the container has a filling openingthrough which the product is introduced into the container whichcomprises: a. heating the container and filling it with steam anddisplacing air therefrom; b. then sealing the filling opening of thecontainer while the container is full of steam to the outlet terminal ofa product supply tube and opening a valve to effect an initial flow ofproduct from said tube into the container whereupon cold productinitially entering the container condenses the steam to thereby create avacuum in the container which accelerates the flow of product from theoutlet terminal into the bottle and the subsequent filling of thecontainer with product relieves the vacuum in the container; c.separating the filled container from the outlet terminal andsimultaneously closing the said valve for cutting off the discharge ofproduct from the outlet terminal.
 2. The method of filling a containeras defined in claim 1 wherein the container is a glass container and theinlet opening thereof is the open top of the container.
 3. The methoddefined in claim 1 wherein an atmosphere of steam is maintained aboutthe container while it is being filled with steam and then with productand the outlet terminal of the product supply tube is also exposed to anatmosphere of steam before and after the container is sealed thereto andseparated therefrom.
 4. Apparatus for aseptically filling a containerwith a cold product comprising: a. a product holding reservoir; b. adischarge tube leading from said reservoir and arranged to be kept fullof product from the reservoir; c. the tube having a terminal with an endclosure against which it normally seats to prevent the discharge ofproduct therefrom and from which the tube is arranged to be unseatedwhen said terminal is pressed into sealing engagement with the open endof a container to be filled; d. a container support and means foreffecting relative vertical movement between said support and tubeterminal arranged to press the open end of a container on the supportinto sealing contact with said terminal and thereby unseat the tube fromsaid closure; e. means for replacing air in the container with steamimmediately before the container is pressed against said terminalwhereby the container is full of steam when it is sealed against theterminal whereby product discharged from said terminal condenses steamin the container and thereby forms a vacuum to accelerate the flow ofproduct into the container; and f. means providing a steam-filledenclosure in which said tube terminal and support are located andthrough which the containers move during the foregoing operations. 5Apparatus for filling containers as defined in claim 4 wherein saidmeans for discharging high pressure steam into the container comprises asteam discharge tube extending into the fitment and terminating at theend of the fitment.
 6. Apparatus for filling containers as defined inclaim 5 wherein said valve is concentrically positioned within saidfitment, the valve having an exterior surface: a. said steam tubepassing through the valve and terminating in the exterior surfacethereof; b. said fitment normally bearing against said valve for closingthe flow of product past the valve; and c. the fitment being movableaxially upwardly relative to the valve and discharge tube when the topof a container is pressed against the sealing means.
 7. Apparatus forfilling containers as defined in claim 6 wherein there is a spring forresiliently urging the fitment against the valve when the filledcontainer is removed from engagement with the sealing means. 8.Apparatus for filling containers as defined in claim 7 wherein: a. saidreservoir is circular and is supported for rotation about a verticalaxis; b. said means for moving the container comprises a verticallymovable container support positioned directly below the discharge tubeon the reservoir and rotatable with the reservoir; and c. a cam followeron said container support and a fixed vertically stepped cam over wHichsaid cam follower is arranged to move as the container support revolveswith the reservoir for raising and lowering the container support withrespect to said fitment and discharge tube.
 9. Apparatus for fillingcontainers as defined in claim 8 wherein: a. there is a steam chamberwith a connection to a source of steam having a sliding seal against thereservoir through an arc of rotation of the reservoir with an outletport extending along the greater portion of its arcuate length; b. saidsteam discharge tube having an inlet terminal that registers with saidsteam chamber outlet by the rotation of the reservoir; c. a fixed airseal arranged to cover the inlet terminal of the steam discharge tubefor a portion at least of its travel immediately following said steamchamber; and d. said cam being so arranged that a container on thecontainer support is moved with its open end spaced below the fitmentwhen steam is admitted to the steam discharge tube when the inletterminal of said tube is in confronting relation to the outlet port ofthe steam chamber and the container support is raised immediatelyfollowing the travel of the steam discharge tube inlet terminal intoregister with said fixed air seal.
 10. Apparatus for filling glasscontainers as defined in claim 9 wherein there is a fixed enclosuresurrounding the circle of revolution of the container support, and meansfor supplying steam to said enclosure.
 11. Apparatus for fillingcontainers with a liquid product comprising: a. a rotary table with anumber of vertically movable container supports thereon, the lower endsof said supports extending below the table; b. a fixed circular camtrack below the table on which said lower ends of the supports move asthe table rotates, said cam track having steps therein for effecting alowering and raising movement of the bottle supports in progressivesequence; c. a reservoir supported above the table and connectedtherewith for rotation with the table; d. a series of equally spacedfilling heads carried by the reservoir, one over each container support;e. each filling head comprising a tube depending from the rotatingreservoir with a fitment at its lower end; f. said fitment being movablevertically relatively to the tube; g. means for resiliently urging thefitment downwardly with respect to the tube; h. a valve element centeredin the fitment and against which the fitment normally seats to close thetube against the escape of product therefrom; i. a steam tube extendingupwardly through said first tube opening to atmosphere through saidvalve and on which said valve is fixed; j. sealing means on the fitmentagainst which the top of a container may be sealed when the container ispressed thereagainst; k. means at one point in the cycle of rotation ofthe reservoir and table for admitting steam to said steam tube insuccession; and l. means on the cycle of rotation of the reservoir forsealing each steam tube in succession against the inflow of air or theescape of steam immediately after it is removed from the steam supplymeans and until the container has been filled, said cam means being soarranged with respect to the rotation of the table that a container oneach support is in turn brought into close spaced relation to said valveat the time steam is admitted to said steam tube and being so arrangedthat each bottle is successively sealed against the sealing means on thefitment immediately above it after the flow of steam through said steamtube is terminated and the fitment simultaneously lifted out of seatingengagement on said valve, whereby product may flow through saidfirst-named tube and the fitment into the container, the cam means beingso arranged as to lower the container out of contact with the fitmentafter the bottle has been filled.